Munipoese Muli’aka’aka (SE) was unanimously elected president of the territorial assembly of Wallis and Futuna on Friday, whose twenty members had been renewed last Sunday. Munipoese Muli’aka’aka, the only candidate in the running, gathered the votes of the twenty councilors of the French archipelago in the South Pacific, although five elected officials declared themselves in opposition.
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The new president embodies the same trend as the previous majority in Wallis and Futuna, where personal and family ties establish alliances more than partisan affiliations. Official in the maritime affairs department, Munipoese Muli’aka’aka, 48, was re-elected on Sunday for a third term in the territorial assembly, responsible for voting on the budget and deliberating on matters within its competence such as land, town planning, taxation or the environment.
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While the archipelago (11,500 inhabitants) is faced with the exodus of its vital forces, due to a lack of economic development, youth had been one of the major themes of the campaign. French territory furthest from the Metropolis, Wallis and Futuna has three customary sovereigns, one in Wallis, two in Futuna, whose power is essential in all decisions. They sit by right on the territorial council chaired by the senior administrator (prefect).